On Wednesday, November 5th, three Chinese astronauts – Wang Jie, Chen Zhongrui, and Chen Dong, were forced to temporarily stay in space a few hours before their scheduled return to Earth, as their return capsule was hit by what appeared to be “space debris.”
According to a statement released earlier on Wednesday by the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSA) around 10:30 am local time, the three astronauts on board the Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft “appeared to have been hit by small space debris, and an impact analysis and risk assessment are currently underway.”
“The planned return mission of Shenzhou-20 scheduled for November 5th will be postponed,” the CMSA statement said.
It is currently unclear to what extent the spacecraft has been damaged and when the crew members will be able to return to Earth.
The three astronauts on board the Shenzhou-20 – Wang Jie, Chen Zhongrui, and Chen Dong, have been stationed at the Chinese Tiangong Space Station since April 24. They were originally scheduled to return to Earth this Wednesday.
This is not the first time the Chinese space station has been hit by space debris. With the increasing number of spacecraft orbiting Earth, the amount of space debris surrounding the planet is rapidly rising. According to Ars Technica, one of the solar panels of the space station was hit by debris in 2023, causing a partial power outage.
While the United States is fully engaged in the Artemis program, aiming to send astronauts back to the Moon in December 2025, China’s goal is to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030. However, the incident on Wednesday where the return capsule was hit by debris highlights the challenges China may face in achieving its space ambitions.
In addition to potential technical issues, with China launching more spacecraft, the real risk of the Kessler Syndrome intensifying. This refers to a scenario where orbital debris collision leads to a chain reaction making near-Earth orbits unusable. The safety of space stations and shuttles in orbit is something that the international community should continue to prioritize.